Starting combustion engines



Feb. 8,1927. 1;617,107

J. GOOD STARTING COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed May 9, 1918 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I WWI/VENT w I V g "3 I; WORNE 10 ficult to start by Patented F eb. 8, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN GOOD, F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB TO GU01) INVENTIONS (30., OF NEW YORK, 11'. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

STARTING COMBUSTIQN ENGINES.

Application filed May The invention is an improved means for starting. internal combustion engines of the icind in which the fuel is injectedinto the combustion space without previous mixture with the air char e With which it is to burn.

Such engines ordinarily and most efiiciently operate under compression pressures much higher than employed in mixture-supplied engines and are correspondingly more difcranking; If usedfor automobile propulsion the capacity of the electric startingbattery usually used in automobiles is quite inadequate for the purpose and. hand cranking is exceedingly laborious 7 and impracticable on that account. This invention comprises several features to facilitate the starting of such engines as Well as high compression engines generally and thereby adapts them to convenient automotive use without undue increase in the electric load. One of said features consists in spinning the engine by the electric motor, with the engine compression relieved, in order to store kinetic energy in the spin- 5 ning fly-wheel and other parts which is immediately thereafter utilized to turn the en gine over a number of times when the compression has been restored and the fuel injection apparatus again rendered operative. Another of said features consists in automatically heating the engine at startin as by heating the air drawn into it,which .may be .done by or during the spinning and another consists in priming the engine -by introducing a priming charge of liquid fuel into the heated intake air rendering it explosive so that the first power impulses in the engine may occur from combustion of such mixture independently of and reliminary to the normal fuel injection. till other features of the invention will be made apparent to those skilled in this art in con- 7 nection with the. accompanying .drawing,

. wherein- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an engine such as above described with the invention a pplied thereto, parts of the air heater being in section; Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section through one of the cylinder heads thereof showing the valve gear arrangement.- The said engine taken for illustration is represented as a four-cylinder, four-cycle engine with a substantial fly-wheel 1 peripherally geared to be driven by the pnnon'2 1918. Serial No. 233,537.

of a starting motor 3. This may be the same type of motor and starting gear arrangement that is common in automobiles and motor boats but it will be observed that pinion 2 is relatively large in proportion to the fly-wheel and thereby adapted to rotate it at a correspondingly high velocity. Engagement of the pinion with the fly-Wheel gear may be by any approved means, electrical or otherwise, as will be understood. The intake valve 4 and exhaust valve 5 of each cylinderare operated by valve levers 4 and 5 and cams 4" and 5 respectively on an overhead cam shaft 6 common to all of the cylinders and chain-driven from the crankshaft 7, and the fuel injection is by means of a plunger 8 (Fig. 2) which is raised against the pressure of a spring 9 by a trip cam 10 and allowed to snap back by the spring pressure. The cylindrical chamber in which the plunger works receives liquid fuel in measured amount through the duct 11 controlled by valve 12. Air from'the engine cylinder is also admitted to the plunger chamber by a duct 13 uncovered by said plunger near its outer or upper limit. The snap descent of the plunger desirably occurs when the air in the cylinder is under con'iprcssion, being subject to variation and regulation in this respect, and descending traps such air as may have entered from the cylinder, further compresses it, and forcesit with the liquid fuel through a spiral-passaged spray nozzle 14 from which it issues into the combustion space of the engine as a finely atomized spray. Such air as is thus admitted with the fuel is manifestly injected under a pressure considerably higher than that of the compression in the cylinder at the moment. The degree-depends upon the strength of spring 9. The trip cams, of which there is one for each injector plunger, are all carried on an auxiliary or injection. cam shaft 15 driven by spiral gears 16 and 17 from the main camshaft 6. The spiral gear 16 is splined to shaft 15 and adapted to be shifted lever 18 which will change'the angular relation of the injection shaft. to the cam shaft according to the pitch of the spiral teeth on the gear. This serves as the means where by the injectionof fuel-may be advanced or retarded by the operator.

longitudinally thereon by the i The fuel valve 12 is spring-seated and J the cams on camshaft 6 at an appropriate time and preferably during a non-pressure stroke of the engine piston. The details of this mechanism will constitute the subject (if another application; it will be sullicient here to explain that the cams and cumlever arrangement for the several vulres may he according to any design that. will function in the manner herein stated. 'lhe fuel admitted by the valve 12 nuiy he mensurcd in various ways prior to, or hylhe net 0i, its adn'lissinn to the plunger chamber and one way of measuring it censisl's in ellowing it to flow inlolhe chamber under the suction eli'ect olthe engine piston. By controlling; the timing: of the intake valve is or by throttling the air intake entrance 2i), vnrying suction eflects may he produced in the cylinder which ere transmitted through the nozzle and cinch l3 to the plunger chamber in cause liquid fuel to he drawn in in correspondingly "varying enieun'ls which may he manifestly suited tollhe speed and load condition of the engine. The fuel liquid is led t0 the fuel duct 21 shown brckeu. of! in Fig. 1. This pipe may The-connected ce-r.- fuel eceptacle under e suitable gravity heed or under pressure inerder ice give eclequulpeiy' prompt flew of viscous lluhthsa By upprepriate valve settings the engine structure above describednley he used on the Diesel principle or it have a fuel injection so advanced he to he cempleied he- :lere comprise-sine deed cent-re er even before half cempressicn er during suction or it may he s sr cgnited if desired elthough it is intended and zpreilerrccl that ignition shall take piece by tieheei; or" compression. It will suliice fer the disclosure to as sense that the nursing process involves a ceznpeeseicn 01" fresh air to about or pounds per square inchxwith h e fuel injectien beginning at shout 10 er mere degrees he fers cempressien dead-centre although subject he variation as above described. This Werliing; process will sellice te cause igni'iien by ecinpressien Witheut the aid of hot wells e2; spark-plugs but the ignition may he assured by a supply of heat from an auxiliary external source as presently ex plainerlh The air supply to the intake-manifold 22 is by We of one er both of two branched air pipes 23 filllllflihli, of which one, 24, is merely u cennectlcn between the manifold and the air euticeuce Q0 while the-ether, 23, is farmed ceil ei eeihshcpe and sub ject te eens 'chh het exhaust gas frcrc she engine t lit therenstiatutes en linked uch serve as e coneif uh few threugh the tens engine. A

circumstances more or less heel may he sun (IOmPI'BSSlOD and permit the fuel valve in plunger end. shift the cum shaft.

smell turn-buckle 27 joining the cranlcz; of the throttle 26, serves to adjust the 1 to the other according to the temperut and flow conditions desired. l iccording ts TU plied to the inlulte til! in this nuinner me least or none at all during" iull lend ii the must during idling. 'lhc reiled h 253 is shown as censtil'utiug 11 section c the exhaust passage hi the engine, lhe inte ier ol lhc cull being inl-erpnscd heiween lhc exhuusl pipe 2.? and its exheush enrich 28 The exlcrior of the celled passage 23 is enclosed in a hex 2!) censtituting the cumhustion 'spuce of an enclosed liquid fuel burner ill) of which the exhaust millet is shown at 3 By nlcu-ns of lhis lliliViEW" epparutus the air in the branch 2? r. healed indepeiulcnlly of or zuidiiiouady the heating by theengine exhaust. burner 30 may he the seine es shown in (re-pending application h e. lllliufieii l Oct. 9, 1917, being operated by :1 lu driven by a small electric meter 33 2,, provided with a spark plug 34- closure of the meter circuit 35 enter ignition and steady combustion is cs't'e lished and maintained in the he): 29-. 1c burner may use liquid fuel from the of the coil is the secondary circuit to the spark plug 34. H

For starting such en cngz'ne us lllrOVQ scribed, the cam shaft (3 is mounted so it can be shifted longitud nully and all the cams thereon are shaped or bevelled in st conunedate such movement and they are se fashioned to eliminate the normal engine remain seated when the shaft hes l shifted. This may be done either b can ing said cams 10 held the exhaust or n valve constantly open or to double the l, ing of the valves so that the engine Wlil WOIk as a pump, drawing air in thrnugh the intake 20 end cxpcllinc it through the huust 0n each stroke. This is preferred and the engine builder will readily shape t cemstolproduce this z llerut'on of the valve action Without" detailed instructions. The cam shaft 6 is held in normal pesitien spring 36 and shifted enclu'ise by su iuule connections to e pedal or lever 53? l indiceted. The lever 37 is shown us engaged. with and operates a, spnng- 'ne sed cf 2: circuit, closer the contents are arranged in' such manner that the liq Q fuel burner 230 end the starting meter 3 ere both energized the storage batten "El when the lever is operated t0 (lepr nature? lieves the compression of the engine and coincidently spins the fly-wheel while the air inflowing to the engine is being heated by the burner. By reason of the lost motion between lever 37 and plunger 38'it will be seen that the burner circuit may be kept closed to continue the heating action after the cam shaft has been restored to normal working position, which is sometimes desirable, andthe same arran einent permitsthe burner to be started when the engine is running normally. That is to say by depressing the pluhgcr far enough to close the burner circuit without closing the starting motor circuit, heat from the burner may be used in such amount as may berequired. \Vhen the lever is released, the spring operated plunger rises to open the burner circuit. \Vith the compression relieved a relatively small starting motor will spin the engine at a high velocity, high enough to continue by momentum for a number of revolutions after compression has been restored, and a few moments only of such spinning and coincident heating sullices to start the engine on 'its normal cycle-produced by allowing the plunger 38 to return to its half-way or fullup position. The auxiliary heat supplied by the burner suilices to produce, artificially,

the same, or an equivalent, temperature that is normally produced by the compression and sufiicient to produce prompt'ignition when starting from cold. The engine will pick up instantly. If desired to hasten the starting, and in abnormal. condition, the engine may be primed, for which purpose the branch '23 or" the air intalrepassage is provided with an entrance 4-0 for liquid fuel,

supplied to it from a connection ll with the fuel receptacle l2 of the burner. Adm ssion of liquid fuel to this branch gives a hot mix- =ture of air and fuel in the air heater 23 which is carried through the'intalre 22 to the .engine where it is ignited by the com pression heat givng a series of impulses to the engine, further warming it, and thereby sfissuring prompt ignition of the injected uel.

It will be understood that the engine is provided with the usual or suitable means forfuel control adapted to regulate the amount delivered to the fuel injectors and that various other add tions to, subtractions from and modifications of the structure here- 'inabove disclosed may be resorted to Without departing from the invention.

Claims:

1. The combination in an internal coinbustion engine having means for altering its valve action for temporarily converting" it into a pump, an electric battery, an engine starting motor operated thereby, burner means for heating the engine inflow during the, starting of the engine, and means for restoring the normal engine valve action While the engine is spinning under the 'coincidently heating said inflou'ing air and a single control member for jointly operat ing said motor and liquid fuel burner.

3. The combination with an internal combustion engine, of a battery-operated starting motor adapted to rotate the same, moans for supplying air to the engine when the latter is rotated by said motor, said air being unmixed with fuel, and an cncloscd liquid fuel burner adapted for coincideutly heating said inflowing air.

4. The con'ibination in ,an internal com- 3 bustion engine of means for altering its valve action for temporarily converting it into an air pump, a liquid fuel burner for heating the air flowing in through thc intake and means for coincidently operating said burner and rotating the engine.

The combination in an internal combustion engine of a starting motor adapted to rotate the same to Cause influx of air thereto, independent means for supplying fuel and air to the engine, an enclosed liquid fuel burner for heating the inflowing air unmixed with fuel, and an electric battcry connected to said motor and burner and adapted for operating both-of them.

6. The combination in an internal cotnbustion engine, of a starting motor therefor, means for delivering fuel liquid to the engine and an independent liquid fuel burner arranged to impart heat to the cnginc, and an electric battery connected for coincideutly starting the rotation of the 'cnginc and operating said burner.

7. The combination in an'internal coinbustion engine; of an injection fuel valve to supply the fuel for the normal working operation, a separate passage for supplying air to the engine, a starting motor for the engine adapted to rotate the latter to cause influx of air thereto through said separate passage, means for heating the said inflowing air and independent means for admitting liquid fuel to said inflowing air.

8. In combination, an engine provided with a valve for injecting fuel into its combustion space or spaces for its normal working operation, a separate air intake passage, the engine being adapted to have its compresr sion relieved, a starting motorar'ranged to spin the engine with its compression relieved, means for imparting heat to said separate air intake passage while the engine is spinning to heat the engine to facilitate starting, a source of energy for operating said motor and heating means and means for restoring the engine compression While the heated engine is spinning.

9. In combination, an engine having an air intake and means for injecting fuel into its compression space and adapted to have the compression relieved for starting, a starting motor for spinning the engine when its compression is relieved, means for heating the engine intake during the spinning to heat the air therein and by means of the heated air to heat the engine, and indepen dent means for admitting liquid fuel to said intake.

10. In combination, an engine normally working by the injection ot' liquid fuel into an air charge in its combustion.space, means for temporarily suspending said injection and compression, a starting motor for spinning the engine during such suspension and means for admitting a hot mixture of air and liquid fuel tothe engine while it is spinning under the motor-im-parted energy.

11. In combination, an engine normally working by the injection of liquid fuel into an air charge with ignition of said charge by the heat of compresson, means for tem porarily suspending the compression and fuel injection, a batteryalriven starting" motor adapted to spin the engine during such suspension, a battery-operated liquid fuel burner adapted to impart heat to the engine and means for restoring the compres sion and fuel injection While the engine is spinning.

12. In combination, an engine normally working by the injection of liquid fuel into an air charge ignited by th heat of compression, and having means whereby the exhaust gas may heat the inflowing air charge, a starting motor for rotating the engine to cause infiux ot air thereto, an enclosed liquid. fuel burner for heating said inflowing air and a COIIHHOILSOHICQ; of energy connected to operate said motor and heater. 13. In an internal combustion'en me, a branched intake passage having one Branch lmsl'ion engine, means for rotation,

adapted to conductan unheated gaseous medium to the engine, and an exhaust pas sage and a liquid fuel burner both in heat transmitting relation to the other branchn "14. In an internal combustion engine,

means for converting the same into a pump, burner means for heating the gaseous medium flowing to the engine while the latter is acting-as a pump, astarting motor for rotating the engine when converted and a bustion engine, a fuel supplying means therefor, a battery-operated starting motor adapted toiiotate the engine at starting and cause an inllux of air to the engine, the said fuel supplying means being so arranged that no fuel supplied to the engine thereby at a time when the starting motor is rotating the engine, burner adapted to heat the said air inllux while the motor is rotating the engine.

17. The combination of an internal con1- injecting fuel into the engine cylinders, a passage for leading air into the engine cylinders, means for ro- 'tating the engine preliminary to starting,

air being supplied to the engine through said passage during such preliminary rotation and the said fuel injecting means being arranged so that no fuel issupplied to the engine thereby during such preliminary and an enclosed liquid burner adapted to heat the air supplied to the em gine through said passage during the preliminary rotation.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification.

JOHN GOOD.

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and an enclosed liquid 

